Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria
Australian National HerbariumBIOGRAPHY

Bunbury, Diana Richardson (1811 - 1898)

Born in Ireland, one of six children, to Sir James
M. Richardson Bunbury (1781-1851) and Margaret nee
Moutray (1795-1873).

In 1855, Diana and some members
of her family followed a brother, William, to WA. They settled
at the residence 'Charterhouse', Picton.

Diana sent seeds to
the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 1859-1872, and collected
MEL specimens at Bunbury, Geographe Bay, and Picton,
including algae, 1874-1890. MEL specimens probably
collected by Mervyn Bunbury at Gascoyne River and Shark
Bay have been attributed to Diana, including by Mueller (e.g.
MEL1061413, MEL1553162 where Mueller corrects his mistake).

Diana collected the type of Thamnoclonium bunburyense Agardh (1876), named for her. Mervyn Bunbury probably
collected the type of Atriplex bunburyanum F.Muell. (1882),
named for him.

There are also Diana Bunbury specimens at
BM and K ('Miss Bunbury', 1887-1894, 94 specimens).

Along
with a 'Mrs Cooper', Diana exhibited a collection of dried
flowers from the south-west of the colony in the WA court
of the Melbourne International Exhibition, 1880-1881.